Aja Naomi King facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Aja Naomi King
King in December 2014
Born	(1985-01-11) January 11, 1985 (age 40) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Santa Barbara (BFA) Yale University (MFA)
Occupation	Actress
Years active	2008–present
Spouse(s)	Dan King
Children	1
Awards	Full list

Aja Naomi King (born January 11, 1985) is an American actress. She started her acting journey with small roles on TV shows. Later, she starred in the medical comedy-drama series Emily Owens, M.D. from 2012 to 2013.

Aja Naomi King also appeared in movies like Four (2012) and Reversion (2015). She became widely known for her role as Michaela Pratt in the TV show How to Get Away with Murder (2014–2020). She also earned praise for playing Cherry Turner in the historical film The Birth of a Nation (2016).

More recently, King has taken on main roles in films such as A Girl from Mogadishu (2019) and Boxing Day (2021). She also had supporting roles in The Upside (2017), Sylvie's Love (2020), and The 24th (2020). In 2023, she was nominated for a top award for her role in the Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry.

Early Life and Education

Aja Naomi King was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Walnut, California. She studied acting at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

She then went on to get a Master of Fine Arts degree from Yale University's School of Drama in 2010. While at Yale, King acted in many plays. These included famous ones like A Midsummer Night's Dream and Little Shop of Horrors. After finishing her studies at Yale, she worked as a waitress in New York City for three years while trying out for acting jobs.

Acting Career Highlights

Early Roles (2010–2013)

King started her career by appearing in several short films. Her first TV role was in 2010, as a guest star in the CBS show Blue Bloods. She also appeared in other TV series like Person of Interest and The Blacklist.

Her first movie role was a small part in the 2011 independent film Damsels in Distress. In 2012, she got a bigger role as Cassandra Kopelson in the CW series Emily Owens, M.D.. This show was about doctors in training.

In 2013, King co-starred in two independent films. She played Abigayle in the drama Four. For this role, she and her fellow actors won an award at the Los Angeles Film Festival. She also appeared in the film 36 Saints. In 2014, she had a supporting role in the romantic comedy The Rewrite.

Becoming Well-Known (2014–Present)

King in August 2014

In early 2014, King had a recurring role in the ABC medical drama Black Box. Later that year, she was cast in a main role in the ABC legal thriller How to Get Away with Murder. This popular show was produced by Shonda Rhimes.

In How to Get Away with Murder, King played Michaela Pratt. She was one of five main students working with a law professor named Annalise Keating, played by Viola Davis. The show started in September 2014 and was very popular. King received her first NAACP Image Award nomination for her acting in this series.

In 2015, King took on her first main role in the science-fiction thriller Reversion. Also in 2015, she was chosen for the main female role in the historical drama film The Birth of a Nation. This film was based on the true story of the 1831 slave rebellion led by Nat Turner. King played Nat Turner's wife, Cherry Turner.

The film premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival and received positive reviews. King's performance was especially praised. Variety magazine called her one of the "Biggest Breakthrough Performances" at Sundance. They noted her ability to transform into a 19th-century slave and show deep emotion. She was also nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for this role. In February 2017, she received the "Rising Star Award" at the Essence Black Women In Hollywood event.

In 2017, King appeared in The Upside, a remake of a French film. She then played the main role of Somali activist Ifrah Ahmed in the movie A Girl from Mogadishu (2019). In 2020, she was in the drama film Sylvie's Love and played a main role in The 24th, a historical drama about the Houston riot of 1917. In 2021, she appeared in Boxing Day. In 2023, King co-starred with Brie Larson in the Apple TV+ series Lessons in Chemistry.

Modeling Work

King has also had a successful career in modeling. In 2015, she became the face of Olay skincare products. In 2017, she became a spokesperson for L'Oréal Paris and has appeared in many of their ads. In 2022, she was featured in an advertising campaign for the jewelry brand Chopard.

Throughout her career, King has been on the covers of many well-known magazines. These include Vanity Fair, Elle, Marie Claire, Nylon, Glamour, Essence, Entertainment Weekly, and Shape.

Personal Life

In March 2021, Aja Naomi King shared that she was expecting a baby after having experienced two miscarriages. On June 6, 2021, she announced the birth of her son, Kian, with her husband Dan King.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Aja Naomi King para niños